Denture attachment



July 16, 1929. G. T. GREGG DENTURE ATTACHMENT Filed May 3, 1926 F'IELI.

11v VE/VTOR 4 of the assembly shown in Fig. l.

Patented July 16,1929.

lJZLB GEORGE T. GREGG, OF OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA.

DENTURE ATTACHMENT.

Application. filed May 3, 1926. Serial No. 106,395

This invention relates to dental bridgework of the removable type and more particularly to improvements in denture attachment anchors employed to hold a bridge in position between the pier teeth.

An object of this invention is to produce a bridge-work structure that is simple in design and construction and is strong and eflicient in service. v

A further object is to produce an improved bridgework anchor head or denture attachment which not only has inherent strength but provides a lasting flexible spring head for engagement with the pier teeth sockets while the bridgework is removably yet rigidly held in position.

The construction of the denture attachment may be varied in certain particulars without departing from the spirit of the present invention in which the drawings illustrate a preferred form thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an assembly View in section of a bridge and pier teeth em-' bodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of a socket such as used in connection with the attachment, Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of the attachment. Fig. 5 is a view looking toward one face of the shank of the attachment and shows the head members in longitudinal section. This View is taken along the line 55 of Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a view taken along the line 6-6 looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of a portion of the attachment and Fig. 8 is a. perspective view of the spring plate used with either form.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a bridge 7 interposed between pier teeth 5. The pier teeth as is usual are provided with inlays 6 to which sockets 7 of the type shown in Fig. 3 are secured by soldering. These sockets are provided for the reception of spring anchor heads 8 which form an integral part of bridge B. The shanks 9 are permanently attached to heads 8 and are embedded Within bridge 7.

The shanks and heads of these attachments are preferably made from one of the alloys usually employed for this purpose and in order to make the attachments stiff and strong, the shank as well as the head pieces are preferably made from rolled or drawn stock.

In the main form shown in Figs. l to 6 inclusive, the shank is made separately from the head pieces and a portion of one long side of the shank is cut away to provide a tonguelike portion 10 which. projects through the slots formed in the inner and outer head pieces or plates which are respectively numbered 8 and 11. The head made up of inner plate 8 and outer plate 11, projects beyond one end of the shank 9 as shown in Figs. 1, i and 5.

In manufacturing this form, it-is preterable to first sweat or otherwise solder the slotted halves of the two head plates together, then to assemble these combined heads on the shanks, to peen over the tongue 10 onto the outer plate 11 and then to sweat or otherwise solderthe inner plate 8 to the shank along the entire length of the shank.

A modified Way of making attachments embodying this invention is to roll or draw the shank and inner plate 8 (as shown in Fig. 7) as a single piece and after cutting the rolled or drawn stock to length, to cut the shank portion to the proper length and then to cut away one half of the tongue projecting beyond the outer face of the inner head member 8. After this, the slotted outer plate member 11 (Fig. 8) of the head can be secured in place by peening over the tongue 10 and then by sweating or otherwise soldering the slotted half of the outer plate to the inner plate. This may be done either before peening or after peening, as desired.

By using rolled or drawn stock, I am enabled to obtain a strong, stiff attachment and a lasting spring. I find that in service, the free or inner half of the spring plate 11 can be separated from the fixed plate 8, and the distance from the fixed plate 8 adjusted from time to time, if necessary, by forcing a knife blade under the free end of the plate 11.

In using this attachment, the separated ends (which I term the inner ends as distinguished from the soldered ends which I term the outer ends) of the combined head pieces are inserted in the sockets as shown in the drawings. This is the reverse way from which these attachments are ordinarily used, but I find that a more rigid attachment is secured in this manner and one that is more easily removable when removal is necessary.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A denture attachment for use in connection with removable bridgework of the type having a socket to receive the attachment and hold the bridge in position, comprising a shank by which the attachment is anchored to the bridge a rectangular head attached to the shank and adapted to fit within said socket; said head being formed of two superposed pieces of metal of substantially equal area and permanently secured together throughout substantially the outer half of the head and throughout the remainder thereof normally standing out of contact and at an angle one to'the other to form with the socket a spring clamp.

2. A denture attachment according to claim 1 in which the superposed pieces forming the head are slotted along their median line to receive a tongue like portion of theshank which projects through the slots.

3. A denture attachment according to claim 1 in which the superposed'pieces forming the head are slotted along their median line to receive a tongue-like portion of the shank which projects through the slots and is peened over onto the outer plate of the superposed plates.

4. A' denture attachment according to claim 1 in which the superposed pieces forming the head are slotted along their median line to receive a tongue-like portion of the shank which projects through the slots, the inner superposed pieces being secured to the shank throughout the entire length of the shank,

5. In a denture attachment and in combination with a socket member having a slot in one side thereof to accommodate-the shank of the attachment, a shank and a rectangular head GEORGE T. GREGG. 

